


Freebies and Hugs

by muuchan



Category: Free!
Genre: Gen, siblings being cute with each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-22
Updated: 2013-12-22
Packaged: 2018-01-05 12:13:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1093746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muuchan/pseuds/muuchan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kou drags Rin shopping.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Freebies and Hugs

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yiankutku](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yiankutku/gifts).



> Special thanks to **aquamarine** and [ redacted ] for helping me with canon compliance and SPAG. They really helped me get a good idea of what to do and what not to do with Rin and Kou! Also thanks to [ redacted ] for reading it for me before beta-ing happened so I had a better idea of where to go with the prompt.....

_The Rin that stepped out of the arrival gates was strange. He didn’t smile. He almost seemed_ morose _and that wasn’t how Gou would describe her brother. Still, Gou was excited to see him and, after asking for her mom’s permission, she let go of her mom ‘s hand and started to run towards Rin. She waved her hands as she did so even though she was sure there was no way her brother wouldn’t notice her._

_“Oniichan!” she’d called out and though Rin smiled at her when their eyes met, Gou couldn’t help but think there’d been a flash of something sad in his eyes._

_She slowed down when she was close enough and then threw her arms at her brother for a hug._

_“I missed you, oniichan! You missed a lot too—“_

_“Yeah, Gou…. Can you— let go for a moment.” Rin gently pried her off. “It’s a bit embarrassing in public….”_

_Rin offered her a tiny little grin._

_“Oh… okay.” Gou smiled back and promptly stepped away._

_She couldn’t help but feel like Rin had just pushed her away nonetheless._

 

* * *

 

 When Kou arrived home that Friday, she realized two things:  that she hadn’t really lost her phone at all and that her older brother had sent her mail.  She sighed in relief.  She’d thought that she remembered bringing it to school that day (who didn’t bring their phone to school in this day and age?) but there it was, sitting on her desk. Without even bothering to change into her house clothes, she sat on her bed to quickly read it her brother’s message.

_‘Gou,’_ it read. ‘ _are you free this Sunday?’_

She blinked at her phone, and more importantly, at Rin’s message.  “On Sunday…” she muttered out loud and tried to think if she had anything scheduled for that day.  She didn’t really… wait, why was Rin asking?

She looked for the email’s timestamp. _12:30 pm_ , it read. Rin had sent this at lunch time. It was now – she checked the time on the top right of her phone’s screen: 5:30 pm!  That was a solid five hours of her brother waiting for her response.  What if Rin thought she was ignoring him?

She stopped at that thought and shook her head. Rin wouldn’t think that, would he? It’s not like she’d done anything to make him think that.  But there was the fact that she usually responded quickly….

“Kou, you’re probably overthinking it,” she berated herself before selecting the ‘reply’ button. “Rin’s not going to worry about something like that…. Let’s see. I’m going to write-“

_Sorry for not responding quickly! \o/ I left my phone at home! I’m free this Sunday! What did you want , oniichan?_

She pressed the send button and  got up to replace her phone on the desk.  Knowing her brother,  she didn’t expect a response anytime soon. She supposed it was because he was usually busy, especially with his own swimming club back at Samezuka.

And especially since it’d just been a week since the regionals. She hadn’t seen much of him since then – which wasn’t exactly bad, it’s been only a week – but had gotten mail from him just a few days ago when she asked him how he was doing. She’d asked if he’d gotten punished for that stunt back at the regionals and told him that his friends back at the Iwatobi Swim Club – Haruka, Makoto, Nagisa and Rei ended up having to help clean around the school a bit as a sort of mini punishment.

‘I’m helping the first-years with their training as punishment. The Captain says it’s to help endear myself with the rest of the team. I think he just wants to be an ass,’ Rin had responded. It was a surprising response too because it was so unusually lengthy – at least, based on the messages she’d gotten from him ever since he returned to Japan.

_Come to think of it_ , she thought, _it’s been five months since he returned…_

Her phone’s ringtone sounded suddenly, pulling Kou out of her thoughts. For a few seconds, she stared at her phone, vibrating against her table. Who was calling her?

But she snapped herself out of that unproductive staring—the phone wasn’t going to answer itself that way! And so she walked up to her desk and picked her phone up… only to stop and stare for a moment longer at the caller id display.

“ _Oniichan_ …!” she said with a small gasp before hastily answering it and putting it to her ear.

“Hey…” Rin’s gruff voice sounded on the other side of the line and Kou’s heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t remember the last time Rin called her. In the five months he’d been in Japan, their communication had been limited to text and, well, in-person. Rin himself never bothered coming home on the weekends so that in-person contact was limited to when their swimming clubs had joint meeting.

“Hi…. “ Kou answered back as she wandered back to her bed to take a seat. When Rin didn’t answer immediately, she ended up talking some more. “Um. I’m sorry for not responding quickly…. I-“

“-you left your phone back home,” Rin finished for her. “I read.”

“Mm!” Kou nodded out of habit. It wasn’t like he’d be able to see her nodding.

“So… listen. About Sunday…”

“I’m free,” Kou confirmed.

Rin was quiet suddenly and Kou almost felt sorry for interrupting him. She made a mental note to let him finish before saying anything else next time.

“ _Oniichan_ …?”

“I’ll take you out,” Rin answered quickly.

“Eh?”  Did she hear him right? She strained to listen but Rin was quiet on the other end of the line again.

Kou opened her mouth to urge more out of Rin but then Rin was speaking again. “I’m offering to take you shopping. This Sunday.”

“What… why?” Kou asked, alarmed.

“Why….” Rin’s voice grew dark. Kou was immediately worried she’d offended him by asking. She was never really sure what Rin was thinking of nowadays. And, sometimes, it felt like if she said or did anything wrong it’d be setting him down the path to the distant brother he used to be. It was an exaggeration but Kou really was worried for her brother.  “If you don’t want to-“

“No, no! I want to! I’m just…. Surprised…. If there’s a reason….”

“Can’t I take my little sister shopping sometimes?” Rin seemed to grumble on the other end of the line.

“You just… I just never really thought you’d want to….” Kou bit her lower lip lightly, wondering if she was sabotaging this conversation. It was true though, as pleasantly surprised she was, she was also kind of worried. What was going on with her brother?

But, thankfully, and despite the short moment of silence between them, Rin spoke again. Kou felt like sighing in relief when she heard her brother’s voice sound again. “Well…. I want to. I’ll buy you anything you want-“

“Anything?!”

“-….within my budget. And just one.”

Kou giggled. “I’ll make good use of your budget, _oniichan!”_

“You better,” Rin said with a slight huff and Kou wondered if he was teasing or not. There was something _flat_ about that voice but at the same time not. She couldn’t help but wish she could see her brother right then. “I’ll email you the details. I run with the team on Sunday mornings so it’ll be in the afternoon.”

“Mm.” Kou nodded and expected Rin to hang up then.

He didn’t, at least not immediately. “Thanks… Gou,” he said before hanging up and leaving Kou blinking rapidly at her phone, heart thumping with surprise.

Oh, she knew her brother had let go of something _hug_ e after the regionals. That day was the first time she’d seen him smile so wholesomely _in years_. But somehow she wasn’t quite expecting something like this. It had only been a week too.

“Who are you and what did you do with my brother?” she murmured before going to the mail app of her phone. Not that she didn’t mind being fed a little hope like this. She missed her old brother:  The one who joked around and didn’t mind if she clung to tightly to his arm and who, sometimes, sat with her to watch her girly cartoons. She didn’t mind the new Rin, either. She thought it was cute how he would try to downplay his concern for his friends and family and she, honestly, was just glad to have her brother back again. But still, sometimes, she couldn’t help but wonder if it would be possible to have more of that older Rin back.

_‘I’m the one who should be thanking you! >:O _  
  
:P See you on Sunday! (^o^) / _♥_ _'_

* * *

 

“Maybe I shouldn’t have dressed like this. I look like I’m going to a date…” Kou lamented as she waited in front of the station Rin and her had agreed to meet at. She’d thought she’d look nice in the dress Chigusa and her had picked a few weeks ago. It was simple enough, she thought, a white number with pastel purple and red in layered effect with a floral pattern. But once she got to the station and noticed the other girls – _with their boyfriends—_ in dresses of the same style, she wondered if she’d have appeared more casual and not like she was waiting for her boyfriend if she’d opted for jeans.

She sighed and pulled her phone out from her bag and re-checked Rin’s email. “2:30 pm at X Station….,” she read before sighing. Just a few more minutes…

“Gou.”

Kou jumped and turned to the direction of the voice. There she saw her brother coming out of the station entrance and the first thing she noticed was _his hat_ \- her brother was wearing a fedora for some reason. She stared. Oh, and he was wearing skinny pants as well. What kind of fashion sense did her brother get in Australia? Somehow she didn’t think a sporty guy like her brother would have this fashion sense. When she saw him outside of his uniform before, too, he didn’t dress like this!

“Sorry if I’m late. Nitori was-“ he said as he came up to her. He stopped in mid-sentence when he noticed Kou staring. His eyes narrowed. “What are you staring at?”

“You’re wearing _a hat_. And not just any hat- a fedora!” Kou pointed. With the hat, Rin looked especially made up and _different_ from what she was usually used to. Like someone from fashion magazine or an idol and though he did make it work it still made Kou feel terribly conscious.

“So… it looks good, doesn’t it?”

“Maybe to you! But that’s just—“ Kou shook her head. “Anyway, take it off! It’s embarrassing! You look different! “

“It’s a hat!”

“I’m not walking around town with you wearing that!”

“ _It’s a hat, Gou_.”

“Take it off!” Kou put her hands on her hips and began a staring match with Rin right then.

The staring didn’t last long. Groaning, Rin removed his hat. “Fine—“

Kou extended her open palm to him. “Give it here.”

“What, why do I have to give it to you?” Rin complained but handed it anyway.

“I’m making sure you don’t wear it while we’re together. I want to stand next to a good looking guy too, you know?”

“It’s a hat, what’s that got to—Hey, wait! What are you--?”

Kou ignored Rin’s  protests as she stuffed Rin’s hat into her bag. At the very least, she made sure that she put it in properly. “There! And don’t look at me like that, I made sure it won’t get crushed. “

“ _It’s just a hat…_ ” she heard Rin grumble.

“And I’m taking care of it.” Kou reminded him, giving her bag a small pat. “So… about that buying me anything I want…. That’s still valid, right?”

“Yeah. I meant what I said, Gou.”

“Do I get dinner too…?” Kou probed and, just as she expected he would, he frowned at her.

“Dinner? It’s two-thirty pm! Why are you talking about _dinner?”_

“ _Oniichan_ , you’re taking a girl out shopping.” She reminded him and watched as realization seemed to dawn on her brother’s face. “We’re _definitely_ going to be here until dinner. Besides, I was planning on shopping for new clothes too—and that won’t count as my freebie from you. So… you’ll have to stick with me for a while.”

Rin made something that sounded like a little choking sound. For a moment he looked like he was about to protest too, but then his shoulders slumped and he sighed.

“Fine. Dinner’s on me too,” he said grudgingly.

Kou grinned triumphantly. “Great! There’s a clothes shop I really like around here – we’ll go to that first!”

She thought about linking her arms with her brother then, to make steering him to the right shops easier. When their eyes met as she contemplated this, she realized that Rin probably thought she might do it too. But she laughed that thought away and made a little show of her free hands to Rin before skipping away, with her arms folded behind her back. She made a mental note to remember not to get carried away with Rin like this. 

She made for the shop but after taking a few steps, she turned around just to make sure her brother was following.

He was. He looked a bit disgruntled too with his hands in his pocket and his shoulders hunched. He frowned at her when he noticed she was looking and she grinned back before turning around and continuing towards the shop she was talking about.

She wondered why her brother was here for real. She made a mental note to ask later. Before that, though, she planned to also get an ice-cream sundae out of him.

 

* * *

 

Six bags later of clothes and two hours later, a disgruntled Rin finally stopped to ask the question Kou was sure he was itching to ask already.

“Are you done yet, Gou?” he had been itching to ask. The bags weren’t particularly heavy. Kou hadn’t bought anything big and the number of bags was really because she’d bought from six different stores. But Rin looked ridiculous — and he knew it – carrying three bags in each hand.

“Nope, we’ve only looked into half of the stores around here. There’s still another half of the strip, you know? And that mall over there!” She pointed at the three-floor building in the horizon. “Don’t tell me you’re tired and giving up already _oniichan.”_  She pouted at him.

Rin grumbled something and rolled his eyes. But he just sighed. “ I’m not giving up. You still haven’t told me what you want me to—“

Kou purposely cut him off. “Oh, look! That ice-cream shop is really great! Let’s have some!”  Without really thinking, Kou grabbed Rin by the sleeve of his light jacket and began pulling him towards the shop.

She only stopped a moment later when she realized what she was doing and promptly stepped back, letting go of Rin and pointing instead towards the store with a finger.

“I mean… it’s over here…” she laughed nervously and immediately turned around. She kept her hands behind her and tried not to run away in embarrassment. It’s not like Rin was Nagisa or Makoto or Haruka!

When they were younger, Rin had never minded being touched,  but the older Rin seemed like he’d mind.

“It’s alright,” Rin said from behind her causing her to slow down.

“ _H-huh?_ ” She turned towards Rin, coming to a stop as she did so. Rin walked up to her.

“ I said it’s alright,” Rin repeated. “Don’t hold yourself back with me. It’s not like-“ Rin walked past her. “-you didn’t use to do it before.”

“That was years ago…” Kou murmured. She couldn’t even remember the last time Rin let her touch him without looking _unhappy_ about it. Years ago, when she’d hugged Rin to welcome him home from Australia, _the first time_ he was home from Australia, he hadn’t returned the hug and firmly told her they weren’t kids anymore to be hugging like that. From then on, Kou remembered that Rin didn’t like that sort of thing… anymore.

“I’m saying it’s alright now,” he said without looking back to her. “Anyway….  you want me to treat you to ice-cream, don’t you?”

Kou started. “I-I do! But not as your freebie!”

Rin actually chuckled. “Thought you’d say that. Alright-“ he ran a hand through his hair. “I’ll treat you to that too.”

The strangeness that descended upon the two of them just then was suddenly dispelled. Kou walked faster to catch up to Rin.

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Rin confirmed.

Kou grinned mischievously.

She made sure to order one of the more expensive sundaes on Rin’s expense.

 

* * *

 

“Where are you even getting the money for these?” Rin asked at some point. By that time, he was holding a total of fifteen bags; five more pieces bought after their little ice-cream break. Kou hadn’t told him yet what she wanted him to buy for her.

“Mom,” Kou readily asked her. “I told her I wanted to go shopping today- and you were coming with me.”

“Wait… don’t tell me.”

Kou grinned innocently at him.

“And you wanted to make me buy for your food—“ Rin grumbled. “Nevermind. What do you want me to get you, Gou?”

“What about dinner?” Kou asked, batting her eyelashes at her brother imploringly.

“What about din—“ Rin sighed and then he spoke with an air of finality, “Pick a place to eat…. But after that you’re deciding what you want me to buy for you and we’re going home.”

“I want to eat pasta!” Kou declared. While they were walking around earlier, she had found a western café that looked nice. She’d made a mental note then to come back there after they were done shopping.

“Does that mean you’re finally _done_ shopping?” Rin asked slowly.

Kou hummed but didn’t answer. She didn’t, at least, until Rin’s eyes narrowed at her and Kou felt a bit sorry for being so mean to him.

“Alright! We’re done! For now… I want to eat! … I saw a place _with pasta_ that looked nice….”

Kou almost laughed when she saw Rin let out a discreet little sigh of relief.

“And where is that?”

“It’s- “ Kou looked at Rin then. His words earlier echoed at the back of her mind. Rin looked at her quizzically.

Summoning her courage, she reached for one of Rin’s arms then, and looped her arms around it to pull him towards where the little café was.

“—over here.”

She didn’t say anything else as she dragged Rin along with her. And Rin didn’t too. When they got to the little café, Rin didn’t say anything either after she disengaged and tried to get seating for the two of them.

She supposed that that was a good thing. She realized then, it really was like going to a date, only it was with her brother who she’d felt like she didn’t even know anymore.

Getting to know your brother through a date…. It was strange to think about – stranger to realize that what they were doing might actually be that – but for all her initial fear of being mistaken for going on a date with her brother…. Kou found that she didn’t _really_ mind it. Not when she felt like she was getting to know her brother again and, very slowly, bridging the gap that had begun to come between them since Rin left for Australia.

 

* * *

  
  
Even if she really wanted to order the pricier items in the menu, Kou was more conservative with her item choices this time. She settled for some kind of Japanese pasta that looked nice enough in the picture and _okonomiyaki_ fries. It turned out that the café they’d gone to wasn’t quite as western as she thought it’d be but at least it didn’t look like the food was bad at all. It was _interesting_ , but probably good too judging by the number of patrons eating alongside them.

“So…. why… did you ask me out today?” Kou asked after the waiter had taken their orders.  Rin hadn’t spoken much all afternoon and when he did, it was after Kou had opened up a conversation. Anyway, it seemed like the right time to ask then. It was like, if they were in a relay, this was the last leg.

And Kou didn’t want to forget about asking Rin.

Rin looked at her and for a moment, he seemed like was about to say something. But he stopped himself. “I just felt like it….” When he did speak, it felt like his answer the first time would’ve different from the one he did say.

Kou rested her head in her hands and gave Rin an unimpressed look. “Oh, really. You just felt like being a girl’s personal pack mule and spending money on me?”

Rin narrowed his eyes at her. “….Yeah.”

There was a beat of silence after that. “I don’t really understand you, _oniichan_ ,” she declared and realized only a moment later that she might’ve sounded just a tad bit wistful when said that.

If Rin noticed, he didn’t say.

Desperate to kill time while they waited for their orders, Kou began talking with no particular subject in mind. School, the swimming club, a drama she’d started watching. Rin only ever spoke in response when the topic was on the swimming club or swimming or if she talked about Haruka and the others. It made her realize just how, well, vastly different they were now.

Maybe she was being unnaturally nostalgic today suddenly, but she couldn’t help but compare how they were when they were younger back then. Long , long ago, even if Rin didn’t like some of the things she did, Rin seemed to always having something to say to keep the conversation going, or to make it seem like he was interested.

Rin was kind of… like a wall like now, in comparison to the way he was before. Not that Kou was complaining, really, but she supposed it was something to note.

“Thank you for coming with me today, by the way,” Kou said finally, even if they had one final thing to do after this. Though, maybe it was because she really had no idea what she could possibly ask for her brother to buy. She had bought an awful lot of clothes on her own already. She couldn’t really imagine wanting anything more. At least, not right then.

Their orders arrived at that moment, keeping Rin from responding immediately. They had both ordered pasta but Rin’s order was something more traditionally Western as opposed to the fusion Kou had. When the food was set before them- their drinks included- and the waiter had left them, Rin  continued what Kou had started.

“It was…” Rin looked down and Kou could swear he was blushing slightly, “nothing.”

“Nuh-uh! It was really something, you know? I- might have purposely taken a long time at each store…. “ Kou giggled and raised her right hand in a one-handed gesture of apology. “Sorry! _“_

“I did think you were trying out too many clothes….” Rin muttered and Kou giggled some more.

“I just… I guess I wanted to spend more time with you,” Kou picked at her food with her fork and carefully avoided Rin’s face out of embarrassment. “I… it was nice. Spending time with my brother.”

There was a moment of silence. And then, Kou heard her brother say:

“Yeah. I… liked spending time together with you.”

Kou perked up. Rin was looking to his side this time, avoiding her gaze too.

“I actually… “ Kou saw Rin stare intently at the floor beside them. “I realized… I needed to thank you too, Gou.”

Kou remembered his words on the phone a few days ago. She didn’t dare say anything that would have Rin clamming up again, so she made sure to just wait for what Rin was about to say.

“You kept on trying to get Haruka and the others to help me...”

Kou put her fork down and began shaking her hands at him. “I- I didn’t do anything in particular!”

“You were always emailing me about the others, getting me interested, trying to get me to meet up with them…. And don’t try to deny keeping them updated about me too,” Rin looked at her. “Nagisa told me all about it.  How the only reason you knew about the old swimming club was because you were stalking them too—“

“I was _not_ stalking them! It was eavesdropping! I eavesdropped! I wasn’t listening on them _on purpose!_ ” Kou cried and blushed furiously when she realized she’d spoken too loud. She continued in a much, much quieter voice, leaning forward to make sure Rin heard her. “What else did Nagisa tell you?!”

“That you arranged their swimming camp for the sole purpose of getting us to mee—“

“That’s complete and utter lies!” Kou protested. “Don’t you ever listen to what Nagisa ever tells you! He’s wrong and probably enjoys spreading misinformation!”

Rin grinned- was actually grinning. Kou blinked.

“I was thinking that.”

“But you decided to… take me shopping to thank me anyway?”

“No,” Rin said firmly.

“Huh?”

“I did it because I wanted to. And to thank you too….  for being patient. With me. I-“ he took a deep breath. “-haven’t been the best brother in years. And I thought-“

“-wait.” Kou interrupted. When she continued, her voice was slightly hesitant.  She didn’t want Rin to take her words the wrong way. “—Did you think it would be...nice to ask me out and get to know me again?”

Rin’s eyes widened, and he looked away. But he made a small nod anyway.

“Oh my god,” Kou cried.

“What?” Rin frowned at her.

“I don’t want my old brother back! I’d forgotten how _sappy_ he was!” Kou covered her face with her hands. “ Next thing you know, you’ll be talking about wanting to swim with everyone else at our school _because_ there’s a cherry tree right next to our pool and you want to swim in a pool filled with cherry blossom petals!”

Rin didn’t say anything, but when Kou looked back up, his expression read ‘And what’s wrong with that?’.

“You’re overreacting, Gou,” he said anyway.

“You were totally thinking it,” Kou said. “And it’s _Kou_.”

“Dad meant for it to be _Gou_ ,” Rin pointed out, crossing his arms across his chest.

“Well, I’m claiming my name for myself and I decided I’ll be Kou from high school onward!”

They stared at each other for a few long moments. But before long, they were chuckling at each other. At that moment, she felt the last bits of awkwardness between the two of them evaporating.

“I’m glad you came with me today, _oniichan.” I’m glad you’re you again_ , she thought as she said those words.

Rin ran a hand through his hair, visibly embarrassed. “I’m glad… too.”

He wasn’t exactly like he was when he was younger too, but being able to smile and laugh again, and her not having to watch what she said and did around him…. That was enough like the Rin she’d known back then. And changing was part of growing up too.

“Eat your food, Gou. It’s going to get cold.” Rin’s voice ended up pulling her out of her thoughts and Kou made a little silly expression before nodding and beginning with her food.

 

* * *

 

When they were done eating, Kou began heading back to the train station. Rin followed beside her.

“So what you wanted- is it around here?”

Kou actually stared at him. “What I wanted- _oh_.” It dawned to her that Rin was asking because he still hadn’t bought her anything, like he promised he would.

She stopped walking.

“I- actually don’t really want anything anymore…” Kou admitted.

“ _Huh_?”

“I mean… I- got to spend time with my brother.” She grinned up to him. “I think that was the best thing you could give me. Thank you!”

Rin was actually frowning— no, scowling, even- at her.

“That’s no good?” Kou pouted, trying to make sense of Rin’s expression when her brother wouldn’t say anything.

“I made a promise,” Rin insisted quietly.

Kou thought, “Hmm…”

She didn’t want to use up Rin’s goodwill on something she didn’t need… but she also didn’t want to disappoint her big brother.

“Ah!” she said, coming up with a solution right then.

Kou continued walking, hands clasped in her back and humming.

“So did you figure it out…?”

Kou nodded. “I did…. Sort of.”

“Sort of?” Rin was frowning again.

“You know, if you frown too much, you’ll get wrinkles much, much sooner,” Kou warned him. “Ah, wait-“ She took Rin’s hat from her bag and handed it to him. “Before I forget.”

Rin gestured to his hands, full of bags.

Kou grinned, “That’d be a problem, huh?” She pretended to think then and when Rin gave her a look –  probably because she was taken too long – she spoke again. “Bend down, _oniichan!_ ”

Rin blinked at her request but didn’t hesitate to long to just that.

Kou gently placed the hand on his head then, taking special care so that it would fall off so easily or look silly on Rin.

“I’m letting you wear it now because we’re going home soon-“ she told him and gave his hat a little pat before motioning for him to stand straight again.

“Going home soon… Gou…”

“I told you it’s Kou, _oniichan_! _–“_ she had stopped just to remind him, but was soon walking again.

“I decided…  that you’ll buy me something _next time_!”

“…Hah…?”

Kou turned around and batted her eyes at her brother pleadingly. She nodded once. “Mm. I reaaally can’t think of anything else I want!  But…. Maybe next time I’ll think of something!” She looked up at Rin worriedly. “Would that be okay…?”

Rin stared at her for a while before sighing and shaking his head.

“You really want to do this again. With me.”

“With you.” Kou nodded eagerly.

“You’ll make me watch you try clothes every five minutes and take half an hour just looking around at a single store.”

Kou nodded again.

“And you’ll make me pay for your food- and you’ll keep on ordering expensive things.”

“That was just the sundae. The pasta was reasonably priced!”

“That was a two-thousand yen sundae, Gou.”

“Sorry!”Kou apologized.  “And like I said, it’s Kou…!”

Rin didn’t say anything just yet.

“So….?”

“Let me think about it,” Rin said gruffly and walked ahead of her.

Kou pouted as she ran up beside him. “ _Oniichan!”_

Rin didn’t answer for a while, purposely baiting her. In fact, he didn’t answer until they were back at the station they met at.

There, he stopped.

“It’s alright,” he said then. He wasn’t smiling, but he wasn’t frowning either. “I’ll go with you next time. You better have an idea of what you want then.”

“ _Oniichan_!” Kou launched herself into a hug with him for that.

And Rin…

Rin didn’t mind at all.

 

* * *

 

  _“Are you really studying overseas, oniichan?”_ _Gou clung to Rin’s arm tightly._

_Rin nodded once. “It’s so I can swim better. Uncle Sawa says the swimming school he works at is one of the best there in Australia.”_

_“Why can’t you just study here?” Gou pouted._

_“It’s because if I’m going to compete against the world… I’m gonna have to train harder. And that place in Australia is world class.”_

_“Don’t they have world class swimming schools here too?”_

_“Uncle has a discount because he works there.”_

_“Boo…!”_

_“Are you going to miss me?”_

_“No, I’m not,” Gou answered quickly but then she continued in a quiet voice. “You’ll write… won’t you? And you’ll come home every year? You won’t… just move overseas and stay there like Uncle does, won’t you?”_

_Rin laughed. “Of course not! I’m gonna be a Japanese Olympic Swimmer! So… once I’m done training, I’ll come home here.”_

_“But you won’t be going to middle school here… will you?”_

_“No.”_

_“It’ll be lonely without you, oniichan, and we’re moving soon too. I’ll be all alone when I got to middle school next year.”_

_“I’ll help you make friends at our new school before I leave… how about that?”_

_Gou brightened up._

_“You’re the best brother!” Standing on her tip-toes, she wrapped her arms around her brother’s shoulders in a tight hug and laughed._   

 

 

 


End file.
